A well-known television chef in Albania has landed in Key Biscayne.
Renato Mekolli, who rose to fame as a judge on “MasterChef Albania,” and later hosted “Hell’s Kitchen Albania,” is now the executive chef at Paralía at the Ritz-Carlton.
Paralía, the open-air Aegean restaurant, serves Mediterranean meze such as Turkish köfte, considered the soul of Turkish comfort food. At its simplest, it is a minced meat patty, but Mekolli resists calling it just a “meatball.”
It is “much more,” he says.
Mekolli is not only leading a renovated concept and an Island adaptive menu, but he is also a neighbor and a Key Biscayne resident.
“I enjoy riding my bike, walking on the beach, visiting the gym and getting to know my neighbors,” Mekolli told Islander News last week, adding that he starts his days early, always taking a few minutes to stand by Paralía’s terrace and “just look at the sea and get inspired.”
Mekolli’s connection to the kitchen began early in Fier, Albania, where he spent time alongside his gjyshe (grandmother) asking questions about the ingredients and techniques behind every dish.
That early curiosity would take Mekoli far from home. Mekolli moved to Greece at a young age, where he worked his way up from entry-level kitchen jobs while facing racism, financial hardship and personal struggles, including panic attacks.
Mekoli eventually would become head chef at prestigious Athens restaurants, including Vassilenas, a historic, high-end spot and winning several “Golden Hat” (Toque d’Or) awards, the highest culinary honor in Greece.
After returning to Albania and finding stardom, things suddenly changed.
“Life often has its own plans,” Mekoli said. “We imagine things one way, but they unfold in another. Even though I had achieved everything I had dreamed of, and even more, feeling grateful for all that God had given me, there came a moment when everything changed.
“With the arrival of the COVID-19 pandemic, reality was turned upside down. My restaurants closed, the TV show I was hosting came to an end, and hundreds of people were left without jobs.”
Refusing to accept the circumstances as a final, Mekolli “made the biggest decision of my life” and refused to believe that “this is just how life is.” He had to start again, “stronger, more determined, more confident.”
That set of circumstances is now the Ritz Carlton’s Key Biscayne and Paralía’s gain, a sort of renaissance for Mekolli.
He has introduced that special blend of Greek and Turkish/Mediterranean influence which started in his grandmother’s kitchen, now an elevated fine-dining technique, with an ability to transform simple ingredients into refined dishes.
One of his new dinner menu entries at Paralía, officially to be introduced in May, is the new Lamb Shank.
“It is slow cooked all day in nothing but lamb juice, my secret ingredient and love,” Mekolli says smiling.
Islander News’ Maria Carolina Jaso tried the dish.
“The lamb was cooked just right, the meat nearly falling off the bone,” she said. Mekolli serves it over a smooth, airy eggplant purée, his modern take on Hünkar Beğendi, the dish known as “The Sultan’s Delight.”
Jaso noted that the smoky purée and fresh asparagus “brought everything together.”
One of the things Mekolli loves about the Island is the “good energy” he gets from the ocean.
“I get inspired by the water and want to introduce lots of fish to the menu.”
Following his likeness for simple ingredients, his Aegean Seafood Salad, containing simply shrimp, cuttlefish, octopus, mussels and calamari is a must try, according to Islander News’ Mariella Oliva, who was “surprised” by the entry.
“It was loaded with shrimp, octopus, and calamari in a delicious olive oil dressing”– Mekolli says he uses nothing but olive oil. Oliva said the dish was “super light, yet full of flavor.”
Mekolli says he could “talk all day about food,” and is on a mission to “modernize Turkish cuisine.”
Take gyros, which are considered Greek, but with Turkish ancestry. His “signature” gyros carry his own “twist.” and are generously loaded with beef, served with warm pita bread and crispy fries on the side. They are paired with a fresh white onion sauce and a rich, creamy white sauce that adds “the perfect touch to every bite,” according to Oliva.
All the dishes at Paralía carry Mekolli’s well-known plating techniques. To him, “the kitchen requires discipline and should be respected,” he added.
Paralía’s menu reflects a little bit of Mekolli’s new Key Biscayne home. “We will tailor our offering to Key Biscayne and Miami’s lifestyle, with a healthy twist and also introduce tapas for the beach and the pool,” he said, and “will never compromise on quality.”
He is happy with landing on Key Biscayne, where he feels supported. “My journey continues here, in a truly unique environment, at The Ritz-Carlton. Here, I found more than just a job, I found a family. People like Derek (Flint, the Ritz Carlton market manager) with passion, values, and commitment.
In his spare time away from the heat of the kitchen, Mekolli is finalizing a project that may be his most personal yet: an autobiography titled “The Chef – My Last Chance at Life.” The book promises the “entire journey,” as he puts it.
“When nothing seems to change, the universe starts working in your favor, guiding you,” Mekolli says of the transition from the turmoil in Albania to the calm of the Florida coast. “The most beautiful part is that the end of this book is not an ending. It is a new beginning.”
A beginning at The Ritz-Carlton, Key Biscayne.
If you go:
Location: Paralía at The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne, 455 Grand Bay Drive.
Hours: Daily, 11 a.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Reservations: paraliakeybiscayne.com or (305) 365-4500, Ext. 4622.
For the last Taste of KB feature, click here.